Sheet-metal grain bin



0a. 22, 1929. A. N. EATON 1,732,400 SHEET METAL GRAIN BIN Filed Nov. 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Zinveutor 8 A.N.Eat0nv (Ittomeg Oct. 22, 19.29. A. N. EATON 1,732,400

SHEET METAL GRAIN BIN Fileg Nov. 12. 1928. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a, 22, 1929 1,732,460

ALBERT N. EATON, QF OMAHA, NEBRASKA tries SHEET-METAL GRAIN BIN Application filed November 12, 1828. Serial No. 318,982.

The present invention relates to grain bin embodiment, the same being illustrated in the or corn crib, and more particularly to strucaccompanying drawings wherein: tures of this kind which are made of sheet Flgure 1 is a perspective vlew of a grain metal and the like. bin or corn crib constructed according to the An object of the present invention is to propresent lllVGiltlOll. 55

id a d i f 1 character h h 1S Figure 2 1s a detail enlarged sectional vlew nomical to manufacture, which may be made oi the upper extremity or ventilating portion in sections and knocked down for shipment, 0ft the 13111. and which may be readily assembled by the am a tr glnentary, enlarged, side men elevation ol: the lntermedlate portions oi the 60 Another object of the invention is to pro- "ehhllallhg P 1 u vide a structure of this kind which may he t-l fl 9 1 F Y of the h made substantially wholly of sheet metal and PPP Portlon thereof 12 broken y m to which access may be readily had tor loadv u l t 1 th 1 15 ing and unloading the same, and WlllCll 1s pro- Eh 5 l l f 2 hg 5 b t; 1 vided with a novel construction which admits l; a: l? E 0] 1e ,3 of the complete and thorough ventilation 0:t -22i 1 1e i 9 OLWIGS 01 all parts of the bulk contained w1th1n the bin. 01 1 l? 5 EC 1 A further Ob-ect of the invention is to W It igure 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectlon o Vide novel of door 0138mm. which taken through the upper end ot the door struc 70 extends throu hout the height of the bin and S t l g the i il f s q plate for co 1 i1 11 "t which may be ad usted tor closing the bin 16 01 m epoq l0 0 lame 1 11 th 0 rs of Referring to the accompanying drawings h Om t 16 bottom upwmc 6 i ea for a more detalled explanation of the present corn or the like are stored 1n the bln, and to embodiment of this invention, and wherein 75 i a door Structure i h embodlfgs like parts are designated by similar numerals vemflhtmg features Capable remolial m of reference throughout the several views, 10 sections or parts so that when the door is not (163]- gnates a base strip sheathing which is 1 Storing ren'lovmg the e preferably of sheet metal and which is prof r p t h the (1001' may be vided with any suitable number of ventilathZed "entllahlng P P ing openings 11 through which air may enter A more detailed ohlect oiithe lmentlon 15 into the lower end of the bin. The bin is to Provide 51 do)? p hg Wlth a P y of provided with a base ring 12 to which the louvres or shutters whleh are removable so lower d f th h thi 10 may b that when desired a selected num O the cured, and a second ring 13 is secured to the louvl s may he PelTlOVed from the (31001" p upper edge of the sheathing 10. The sheath in o; so that the user may Walk e e t into and ing 10 extends upwardly but a relatively short out of the bin for loading an unl g the distance as compared with the height of the same when only a relatively Small qn itv bin, and rising against the inner side of the 40 ears of 00m are Contained 111 the sheathing 10, and extending upwardly there The invention also aims at the provi i n Of from are a number of studding; strips 14 a door closure which is constructed in a numwhi h may b i t -b d b Sway braces 15 her of sections which may be adj sted I'GhF crossed between adjacent studding strips 14 tively to each other and to the door opening as shown in Figure 1. 45 so as to open or close the upper, lower or ln- One or more intermediate reinforcing rings termediate portions of the door openin 16 may be provided, and the same may be of The above, and various other objects and angle or any other suitable construction advantages of this invention will be underadaptable to the bin. A top ring 17 is supstood from, and set forth in the following ported on the upper end of the studding 14:, at detailed description of the present preferred and the reel. ofthe bin secured to this top 1.00

ring 17. The roof comprises a plurality of segmental sections 18 having their adjacent edge portions secured together to form ridges 19 which reinforce the vroof structure and seal the sections 18 together.

The roof may be provided with any number of doors 20, one being shown in the present instance and the same comprising the lower end portion of one of the segmental sections 18. The door is secured in position by hinges 21, as shown in Figure 4, and the outer end of the door is provided with a down-turned flange 22 which projects downwardly and outwardly to a sufficient extent to cover the door structure hereinafter de scribed and which is mounted in the side of the bin.

Disposed centrally and vertically within the bin is a ventilating tube 23 which extends from the bottom of the bin upwardly through the top thereof. The ventilating tube 23 is provided in its side wall and for any suitable extent throughout the length of the tube 23,

with a plurality of air openings or passages 24, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and a, and these openings 24 may be provided by standing or pressing inwardly portions of the side wall of the tube 23. The tube 23 is adapted to ventilate the inner or middle portion of the mass contained Within the bin, when the bin is filled to a more or less extent.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper end'of the ventilating tube 23 projects above the roof'and is surmounted by a cap 25 of substantially conical form which is supported upon spaced upstanding braces or supports 26 secured to the adjacent sections of the roof. A retaining collar or ring 27 may be fitted about the upper end portion of the ventilating tube 23 in position to overlap the upper edge of the roof and prevent moisture from entering beneath the same. 7

At one side of the bin, the latter is provided with a door opening which extends throughout the entire height of the bin, and is preferably in line with the door 20. This door opening is defined between apair of spaced-apart and vertically disposed guide rails 28 to which the spaced ends of the sheathing 10 are secured, and the entire structure above the sheathing 10 may be enclosed within a wall of Wire meshing which telminate at the side rails 28. The guide rails 28 are of channel construction and are positioned with their flanges outturned away from one another, and upon the outer flanges are'mounted a plurality of cover plates or sections 30 which are adapted for adjustment into superposed relation, and which have their ends; overturned to provide flanges 31 which are so bent as to not only overlap one another but to also overlap the outer flanges of the guide rails 28. The cover plates are thus slidably mounted upon each other and also upon the guide rails so that the cover plates may be raised and lowered throughout the entire height of the door opening. Each cover plate 30 is provided at its lower end with an outturned reinforcing flange 32 for the purpose of reinforcing and bracing the plates. The cover plates 30 are of such size and number that the same may be slid one upon the other into position to entirely close the door opening from top to bottom of the bin, or may be collapsed or telescoped one upon the other at either the top of the bin, the intermediate portion of the bin. or at the bottom of the bin dependent upon the adjustment required.

The inner sides of the guide rails 28 are provided with pairs of registering cleats 33 which are secured across the guide rails 28 and which are also inclined inwardly and downwardly and disposed in pairs to provide guideways for the reception of the opposite edge portion of louvres or shutters 3-l-. Each louvre or shutter 34 is in the form of a sheet metal plate of substantially the width of the guide groove thereof and which extends entirely across the door opening between the guide rail. 28. The forward edge portions of the louvres 3e are provided with stop flanges 35 arranged to not only engage the forward edges of the adjacent cleats 33, but to also facilitate the sliding of the louvres into and out of position.

in order to facilitate the loading of the bin or crib, such as when two wagonloads of corn or the like are adapted to be stored in the bin, the bin may be provided in one side remote from the door 20, with an auxiliary door 36 which is located preferably near the top of the bin and supported upon vertical spaced rails or bars 37 which are incorporated in the body structure of the bin. shown in Figure 4, and also in Figure 1.

hen it is desired to load the bin, the main door opening, beneath the cover plates 30, may be utitlized for the initial stages of the loading. In this case, the desired number of louvres 3 L are removed from the guide rails 28 so that the person working in the loading operation may have free access to the interior This structure is I iii) of the bin and so that the person may walk ed into lowered position to close the lower end of the door opening and open the top of the door opening freely so that the material may be passed into the bin at its upper end. During this stage of the operation, not only the main door opening may be employed, but the auxiliary door 36 may be removed from the side rails 37 so that a second filling operation may be carried on at an opposite side of the bin. Then the bin is filled to a level near its top, the door 36 may be closed and also the cover plates 30 may be adjusted to completely close the side main opening, and the door 20 may then be opened to introduce the material into the space beneath the roof and in the top of the bin. The door 20 and its flange 22 are adapted to overlap the cover plates 30 so as to prevent moisture from entering through the main door opening.

In unloading the bin, the cover plates 30 may he slid into the position shown in Figure 1, and any number of the louvre plates 3st may be removed from the bottom of the bin so that access may be readily gained to the con tents.

It is apparent that this bin or crib may be made in sections at the factory, may be shipped in packed down condition, and may be easily set up into position by the purchaser. if desired, a flooring 38 may be fitted in the lower end of the bin, or the bin may be erected directly on the ground. The louvre plates 3% are disposed at such an angle, and are so spaced apart, that the grain or other material which is contained within the bin will not be permitted to fall out through the main door opening When the cover plates 30 are raised, and at the same time the desired ventilation will be had to the material which covers the inner side of the door opening.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of design and construction of the above specifically described grain bin or corn crib to meet various conditions, without departing from the spirit of this invention, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is"- l. la a grain c ib, a container body having a vertically disposed door opening in one side thereof extending throughout substantially the entire height of the crib, and a plurality of door sections slidably mounted upon the side of said container body and arranged to slide in telescoping relation one section upon the other, whereby said door openings may be opened at either top, bottom or intermediate portions thereof.

2. In a grain crib, the combination of a body portion adapted to contain grain, said adjustment one upon the other and upon said guide rails to selectively open the top, in termediate and bottom portions of said door openings.

3. In a grain crib, a body portion adapted to receive a quantity of grain and provided in one side with a vertically disposed door 'oocnin ad'ustible closure sections for the door opening, and a plurality of removable louvres arranged in the door opening for normally closing the same to retain material in said body portion, said louvres being removable to admit free access into and from said body portion.

l. In a grain crib, a body portion adapted to receive grain, a pair of guide rails arranged. vertically in spaced relation at one side of the body portion, and defining a main door opening therein, a plurality of cover plates slidably mounted upon said guide rails adapted for adjustment to close said door opening, and a plurality of louvre plates slid-ably and detachably mounted in said opening upon the guide rails and disposed for selective removing from the door opening to admit positioning and removal of grain from within the body.

In a grain crib, the combination of a body portion adapted to receive grain, said body portion having a vertically disposed main door opening in one side, a pair of guide rails disposed at the opposite sides of said opening, a plurality of superposed cover plates slidably mounted upon one another and upon said guide rail pairs of cleats arranged across the inner sides of said guide ails and inclined inwardly and downwardly with respect thereto, and louvre plates slidably mounted between said pairs of cleats for partially closing said main opening and for retaining material therein and admitting free access of air to the material, said louvre plates provided with downturned flanges at their outer edge portions adapted to engage said cleats for limiting the insertion of said louvre plates and admitting the easy removal thereof.

6. In a grain crib, a crib structure having a vertical opening, a frame disposed in the opening having pairs of guideways therein, spaced apart vertically and disposed iliag onally, louvre vanes removably mounted in said guides, and a plurality of doors slidable upon said frame and upon one another and adapted to close the entire vertical opening.

In testimony whereof, I have ailixed my signature.

ALBERT N. EATON. 

